Ancient Rome Flashcards
What is the physical geography of modern Italy?
The Alps cross the top, the Apennine mountains run north to south, and it has a mild climate, rich soil, and large flat plains
How did Romes location affect the city?
The Tiber River gave it fresh water and transportation where pirates couldn’t attack. The two hills it was built with on protected it
Rome’s culture
Believed to have come from the Latins. Tended herds and crops on Rome’s hill
Greek’s culture
Around 750-500 B.C, they started building colonies in Italy. Taught the Romans to grow olives and grapes. Romans used the alphabet, Greek sculptures, and other art forms
Etruscan’s culture
Came around 800 B.C and conquered Rome in 650 B.C. Taught romans about building roads, temples, streets, and public squares, and showed them togas and taught them to make their army effective
Republic
A form of government where leaders are leaders
Legion
A small group of Roman soldiers
What happened in 509 B.C?
Romans rebelled against Etruscan leaders and became a republic
What made the Roman army strong?
They divided army into legions and built military towns in conquered areas and they were connected with roads
How did the Romans treat allies and conquered people?
Let some conquered people become citizens, and the allies could run towns but had to pay taxes
Patrician
A member of the ruling class
Plebeian
Ordinary citizen
Consul
Head of a government for one year
Veto
To reject or say no
Praetor
Government official who interprets the law and services as a judge
Tribune
An elected official who serves to protect the right of plebeians
Dictator
A ruler with total control over a country
Civic duty
The idea that that people have the duty to help their country
Who are Consuls?
Two top government leaders who serve for one year
What are Consuls jobs?
One headed the army and the other headed the government
Consuls-Other
Consuls could veto each other’s decisions
Who was the Senate?
300 patrician men who served for life
What was the Senate’s job?
Passed laws and directed building programs
Senate-Other
Plebeians eventually demanded equal rights
Who was the Assembly of Centuries?
Patricians
What was the Assembly of Centuries’ job?
Made laws and elected Consuls and praetors
Who were Praetors?
Judges
What were the Praetors jobs?
They interpret laws
Praetors-Other
Could lead armies and help lead the government
Who was Cincinnatus?
A farmer who was loyal to Rome. He was a dictator in 460 B.C. He fathered an army and defeated the enemy. Then he went back to his farm
How were dictators used in early Rome?
They were elected by the Senate in an emergency and when the emergency ended the dictator quit
Why did the plebeians go on strike in 494 B.C?
They wanted equal rights and refused to join army. Some set up their own governments
How did the strike end?
In 474 B.C the Plebeians were given the right to create council of Plebs and elect Tribunes
How did the government change in 287 B.C?
Council of Plebs could pass laws for all Romans
Twelve Tables
They were the first code of laws written down that were based on the idea all citizens should be treated equally and they were only for citizens in 451 B.C
Law of Nations
When Rome conquered more people they made laws for non citizens
Rule of Law
No one is above the law
How did Marius change the Roman military?
In 107 B.C he became consul and payed the poor to serve as soldiers and promised to give them land
How did generals become powerful?
Soldiers were now loyal to generals and not Rome
Who was General Sulla?
In 82 B.C he forced their generals out of Rome and became dictator
What problems did plebeian farmers have after the Punic Wars?
By 100 B.C plebeian farmers were in army and couldn’t work or farm and Hannibal destroyed the farms
What were latifundia and how did they affect plebeian farmers?
They were large farming estates owned by patricians with enslaved Carthaginians working on them with cheaper crops than the plebeians
What did the plebeian farmers do when they lost their farms?
Farmers sold farms and went to work in cities
What was a triumvirate?
3 leaders who share power
Who were the members of the first triumvirate?
Julius Caesar-Gaul
Pompey-Spain
Crassus-Syria
Why did the senators want Caesar to give up his army?
Caesar was a popular hero to the working class
How did Caesar become a dictator?
Caesar disobeyed Senate and led soldiers into Italy and drove out Pompey and Caesar became dictator for 1 year
What changes did Caesar make?
Named himself dictator for life and freed men and started colonies
Who were the members of the Second Triumvirate?
Octavian, Anthony, and Lepidus, Octavian made Lepidus retire and Octavian took west and Anthony took east
Why did Octavian declare war on Anthony?
Octavian thought Anthony and Cleopatra wanted to take over Rome
How did the war end?
Octavian crushed Anthony and Cleopatra so the couple killed themselves
Why did Cicero support Octavian?
Cicero thought Octavian would rebuild the Roman Republic
What happened when Octavian rose to power?
He thought the Republic was to weak to solve Rome’s problems so he decided to keep the power
What did Augustus (Octavian) do once he came to power?
Took control of the Mediterranean and ended the fighting there
How did he strengthen the empire?
Made a professional army and Praetorian guard emperor and set natural boundaries to protect empire and gave grain to the poor from Africa
What changes did he make in the government?
Appointed a proconsul for each province inspected the proconsuls work and changed tax laws and made tax collectors government workers
Pax Romana
A long period of peace in Rome
Proconsul
Roman governor
Who was Tiberius?
Relative of Augustus and he ruled well after Augustus
Who was Caligula?
He was cruel and had people killed, wasted money, and made his horse a consul. One of his guards killed him
